• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simple Vegan Recipes
  • Recipes
  • Books
    • 40 Days of Green Smoothies
    • Bowls!
  • Recipe Videos
    • My YouTube Channel
    • Video Blogging FAQ
  • Simple Vegan Starter Guide
  • Podcast
  • Shop
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Get the vegan starter guide!
  • Latest Recipes
  • Air fryer recipes
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • My YouTube channel
  • Podcast
  • Recipe video production
  • SHOP
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Holiday recipes

    Bacon-wrapped tofu appetizer

    May 26, 2023 by Becky Striepe
    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    image collage showing bacon wrapped tofu before baking and being served on a white platter as part of a party spread
    bacon wrapped being served on a white platter as part of a party spread

    This recipe is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are 100% my own.

    Sweet-and-savory bacon-wrapped tofu is a flavorful appetizer and a festive party finger food! It's also incredibly fun and easy to make.

    bacon wrapped being served on a white platter as part of a party spread

    With holiday party time coming up, I wanted to create a decadent, finger food recipe that's also easy to make. This bacon-wrapped tofu fit the bill. Each piece is marinated in a sweet-spicy ginger-maple sauce, wrapped in smoky strips of seitan bacon, and then baked to perfection.

    Jump to:
    • Preparing the tofu
    • Recipe notes
    • How to serve and store
    • More tofu recipes
    • Bacon-wrapped tofu

    Preparing the tofu

    Pressing the tofu for these bacon-wrapped tofu bites is critical, because the more water you get out, the more of the flavorful marinade your little tofu cubes will drink in.

    And who doesn't want to reach critical ginger-maple-sesame mass?

    To get the most water out and preserve the shape of the block, I press my tofu with the EZ Tofu Press.

    pressing tofu with the EZ Tofu Press

    The EZ Tofu Press is faster than pressing with weights in a colander, because you adjust the pressure manually, rather than relying on gravity. It also maintains the shape of the block, which is so important in a tofu bites recipe like this one.

    The EZ Tofu Press gets out about ½ cup of water in just 10-15 minutes of pressing. And it's incredibly easy to clean. You can hand wash or just stick it into the top rack of your dishwasher.

    Once your tofu is pressed, dice it into one-inch cubes, and you are ready to marinate!

    Recipe notes

    To make bacon-wrapped tofu bites, you want to marinate the tofu for as long as possible. One hour is the bare minimum, but if you can marinate overnight, all the better! The longer you marinate, the more flavorful your tofu will be.

    block of tofu on a white plate surrounded by vegan bacon and seasonings

    You know I love to reduce the amount of dishes you have to wash, so for this recipe, you marinate the tofu in the same pan that you use for round one of baking.

    While the tofu bakes in the sauce, grab your package of seitan bacon, and slice each piece in half, lengthwise, so you have two skinnier strips of bacon.

    stack of vegan bacon, sliced in half lengthwise, on a white plate

    You definitely want to choose bacon that's pliable, because we are rolling it around those little tofu bites. Tempeh bacon doesn't work in this recipe, because it will break if you bend it that much.

    image collage showing tofu cubes, marinade, tofu marinating in the pan, and brushing marinade onto the tofu after wrapping with vegan bacon

    After the tofu bakes, let it get cool enough to handle, then wrap each tofu cube in a strip of the bacon that you just sliced. Use a wooden toothpick to hold it closed. Please don't use plastic, because a plastic toothpick can melt during the second round of baking.

    Arrange those wrapped tofu pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Now, brush the bacon-wrapped tofu with the remaining marinade from the pan, and bake again.

    How to serve and store

    You can serve these hot and fresh from the oven, but they are also delicious at room temperature or even cold from the fridge for a late-night, post-party snack!

    If you do want to warm these up, bake them at 300° F for 10 minutes to heat them through. You can also just pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute to warm them up.

    While the toothpick does hold these together well, I wouldn't just throw them into a container to store them. Instead, arrange them in an airtight container. You don't have to do a single layer, just don't dump the whole tray in, is what I'm saying.

    They will keep for three to five days in the fridge, though I dare you to not eat them all long before then!

    More tofu recipes

    • Baked Tofu Skewers
    • Tofu Banh Mi-Inspired Salad
    • Baked General Tso's Tofu
    bacon wrapped being served on a white platter as part of a party spread

    Bacon-wrapped tofu

    Sweet-and-savory bacon-wrapped tofu is a flavorful appetizer and a festive party finger food! It's also incredibly fun and easy to make.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: bacon-wrapped tofu
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Marinating time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 133kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

    For the bacon-wrapped tofu

    • 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed and cut into 1" cubes (I ended up with 32 cubes.)
    • 16 slices vegan bacon - see note

    Instructions

    • Whisk the marinade ingredients together.
    • Arrange the tofu in an 8×8" glass baking pan, and pour the marinade over it. Gently toss to coat all sides. Marinate for at least an hour, up to overnight.
    • Preheat the oven to 400° F, and pull the pan out of the refrigerator (if you marinated overnight). Make sure the pan is room temperature before you pop it into the oven in the next step. No exploding pans, please!
    • Stir the tofu one more time, then stick the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
    • Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.
    • Set the tofu aside to cool, and slice your pieces of bacon in half, lengthwise, so each piece of bacon turns into two skinnier pieces of bacon.
    • When the tofu is cool enough to handle, wrap each cube in one of those half slices of vegan bacon and secure each one with a wooden (not plastic!) toothpick. Brush the bacon and any exposed tofu with the leftover marinade from the baking pan.
    • Arrange your bacon-wrapped tofu on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, then arrange on a tray to serve.

    Equipment

    • EZ Tofu Press

    Video

    Notes

    Tempeh bacon will NOT work – you need something flexible, like seitan bacon.
    It's very important that you use wooden -- not plastic! -- toothpicks in this recipe. Plastic will melt in the oven, and that would ruin your whole tray of tofu!

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Bacon-wrapped tofu
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    133
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    5
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    0.3
    mg
    0
    %
    Sodium
     
    522
    mg
    22
    %
    Potassium
     
    135
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    10
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    7
    g
    8
    %
    Protein
     
    7
    g
    14
    %
    Calcium
     
    36
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    More Vegan holiday recipes

    • tofu ricotta on a gold spoon
      Vegan tofu ricotta (nut free!)
    • glass of dairy-free eggnog with a cinnamon stick in it
      15 Minute Vegan Eggnog Recipe
    • lentil soup mix in a jar with red lentils scattered on the tabletop
      Lentil Soup Mix for Holiday Giving (+ free printable recipe card!)
    • tofu stuffed mushrooms on a white serving plate
      Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms with Creamy Basil Tofu Ricotta

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Tried this recipe? Have a question? Leave a reply! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. swathi

      December 13, 2015 at 11:01 pm

      Looks delicious, love to try it, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop.

      Reply
    2. Corrine

      December 13, 2015 at 10:57 pm

      I like Pad Thai with tofu. =)

      Reply
    3. Lydia Claire

      December 13, 2015 at 10:54 pm

      I like baked and marinated tofu.

      Reply
    4. Tyme

      December 13, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      I love eggless salad with tofu. Besides the tofu, mayo, and yellow mustard (for part of tofu), I like to add chopped celery and top my open-faced sammies with fried onions. Yummers!

      Reply
    5. Tyme

      December 13, 2015 at 3:10 pm

      Wow, I could even make that. Saw the bacon at Kroger. Wonder if this would go over well with omnis....would be great to take to mixed parties.

      Reply
    6. Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

      December 11, 2015 at 8:19 pm

      I love making bacon tofu!!!!!!!! YUM!! What a fun appy!

      Reply
    7. Angi

      December 10, 2015 at 9:56 pm

      My favorite way to use tofu is marinated in a sesame dressing then baked or pan-fried.

      Reply
    8. Dianne

      December 10, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      This recipe looks so good!
      P.S. My tofu press from last week's giveaway just arrived!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        December 10, 2015 at 4:03 pm

        Hurrah!

        Reply
    9. Rika

      December 10, 2015 at 2:34 pm

      I love gochujang tofu! Miam miam miam!

      Reply
    10. Cadry

      December 10, 2015 at 10:39 am

      This sounds like my kind of appetizer. I love chewy, seitan bacon.

      Reply
    11. Jenn

      December 10, 2015 at 9:21 am

      This looks like the perfect party appetizer! LOVE the sound of that marinade!

      Reply
    12. P

      December 10, 2015 at 7:47 am

      BBQ tofu wraps.

      Reply
    13. Aaron

      December 10, 2015 at 6:02 am

      Your Ginger Maple Bacon-Wrapped Tofu Bites recipe looks delicious!

      Reply
    14. Dacia

      December 09, 2015 at 12:53 pm

      My favorite tofu recipe is probably breakfast tacos with tofu in lieu of eggs.

      Reply
    15. Paula

      December 09, 2015 at 10:47 am

      My favorite tofu dish is tofu ricotta for lasagna. That or tofu scramble. Such a tough question as tofu is so versatile!

      Reply
    16. Marla

      December 08, 2015 at 7:55 pm

      Yum! This looks amazing.

      Reply
    17. Dianne

      December 08, 2015 at 12:56 pm

      I'm so excited that I won the last giveaway! This recipe might be the first thing I make with my new press!

      Reply
    18. Terri Cole

      December 07, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      I like marinated and baked tofu because of it's versatility.

      Reply
    19. Judith

      December 07, 2015 at 3:07 pm

      I love tofu eggs

      Reply
    20. Samantha

      December 07, 2015 at 2:56 pm

      My favorite tofu recipe is a savory "egg" souffle with veggies mixed in.

      Reply
    21. Tracey

      December 07, 2015 at 10:06 am

      I want to win this sooo bad!! I'd love to make some BBQ tofu :)

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    photo of Becky Striepe
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    As Seen On: Buzzfeed, How Stuff Works, Parade Magazine, Follow Your Kind Podcast, Peta, Curiously Veg Radio, Shape Magazine

    About

    • About Becky Striepe
    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Ads
    • Video Blogging FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Trending now

    • glass jar of soy yogurt on a blue table with the Instant Pot in the background
    • photo of vegan spinach artichoke dip in the baking pan. A hand is dipping a cracker into the pan.
    • overhead photo of air fryer tofu in a blue bowl with green onions sprinkled on top

    Copyright Notice

    All content Copyright © Glue & Glitter/Cattington Inc. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. You may post a short excerpt and/or one photo, as long as you provide clear credit and a link back to the original recipe or tutorial post at glueandglitter.com. Please do not repost recipes in full without my express permission.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Glue & Glitter